Grand Blanc man found incompetent to stand trial in killing of wife

FLINT, MI -- A Grand Blanc man was found incompetent to
stand trial in the death of his wife following an evaluation by state
psychiatrists.

Genesee Circuit Judge Joseph Farah ordered Monday, Sept.
23, that Ali Kurtaga was incompetent to stand trial for the 2011 death of his
wife, Naslie Kurtaga. Farah issued the ruling after prosecutors and defense
attorney James Piazza stipulated to report by Timothy Koltuniak, a psychologist
with the Michigan Center for Forensic Psychiatry.

Suspects can be found incompetent to stand trial if they
are unable to understand the nature and object of the proceedings against them
or assist in their defense in a rational manner.

Authorities allege Kurtaga went to the Grand Blanc Police
Department shortly after his wife's death and told an officer, "I
just killed my wife."

It was the second of two homicides in Grand Blanc in
2011.

Mental health professionals previously ruled that Kurtaga,
who is Albanian and participated in Monday's hearing with the assistance of an
Albanian interpreter,
suffered from a mental illness but was not legally insane.

The case against Kurtaga is now on hold as he was
referred back to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry for continued mental health
treatment. The Center will have 15 months to restore Kurtaga back to competency.

Koltuniak recommended that Kurtaga's competency could be
restored with structured inpatient treatment with the 15-month period.

A hearing to check on the status of Kurtaga's treatment
is scheduled for Dec. 16.